Disposable shower and post-surgical garment

ABSTRACT

This specification generally discloses a garment for blocking intrusion of dirt, water, and/or other pathogens on a person&#39;s body, such as to protect wounds on the body following a surgical or medical procedure. The garment can include a first opening sized and shaped to fit around the person&#39;s neck, wherein the first opening further comprises a collar with accordion style ridges, second and third openings sized and shaped to fit around a portion of the person&#39;s arms, wherein the second and third openings further comprise elastic material, and a fourth opening to be fitted around a portion of the person&#39;s torso, wherein the fourth opening further comprises elastic material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document describes a garment to be worn by a patient when showering after a surgical or other medical procedure.

BACKGROUND

Numerous patients undergo surgical procedures in sensitive areas. Breast cancer patients, for example, commonly undergo surgery in the chest and breast regions. After surgeries, patients are often left with stitches and tenderness that can result in the patient being unable to shower for several days, if not weeks, after the surgery. As a result, the patients may not feel comfortable or clean, and the patient may be left exposed to pathogens that could lead to illness or infection of the surgical wound.

SUMMARY

This specification describes a shower garment (e.g., a blouse) adapted to protect one or more parts of the body, such as in the chest or torso region, while showering after a surgical procedure. The disclosed garment can include various features to enhance the patient's showering experience in a cost-effective manner. The disclosed garment can allow the patient to maintain hygiene and minimize the possibility of infection while recovering from a surgical or other medical procedure. For example, the disclosed garment can be a reversible blouse and can include one or more removable modular pockets that can be attached to an inside and/or outside of the blouse as well as on a front and/or back side of the blouse. The pockets may hold items or equipment attached to patient while showering such as drainage tubes, pacemakers, or surgical implants. The blouse may also be worn in any direction, forwards or backwards. The removable modular pockets can also be used to hold any necessary equipment such as drain tubes while the patient showers, and allow the patient to access the drain tubes with ease. The disclosed garment can also provide for a more cost-efficient, inexpensive alternative that can be provided by hospitals or other healthcare providers to a broad population of patients when leaving a medical facility. Further advantages are disclosed according to the embodiments described below. It is noted that this specification describes exemplary embodiments of the shower garment as a shower “blouse.” The shower “blouse” represents a type of garment that is contemplated by the inventions described herein, but the full scope of the disclosure and claims are not necessarily limited to a “blouse.” The shower garments (including blouses) described herein are intended to be suitable for use by persons of any gender.

A shower blouse (or other type of shower garment) can be made of a thin plastic material with elastic material integrated in the seams around openings for each arm and a torso. The elastic material can be made to keep water from seeping in through the openings in the blouse and impacting the surgical and/or sensitive area of the body. The shower blouse or poncho can further include an accordion style collar to keep water and other materials, such as dirt, and/or elements such as soap, from seeping in to the stitches area or other areas of tenderness on the patient's body. In some embodiments, the collar can be removable and can employ an adhesive or fastener on the inside of the collar so that the collar can be attached to one or more different shower blouses. In other embodiments, the collar can have a first end and a second end that can be coupled/secured to each other and around the patient's neck by a zipper closure, VELCRO tabs, or any other type of fastener.

In some embodiments, the shower blouse includes modular pockets removably attached to a body of the blouse, and the pockets can be sized and shaped to hold medical equipment such as drainage/drain tubes, or other lightweight item(s) that the patient may require while showering. A modular pocket can be attached to any part of the shower blouse by adhesive or fasteners on a back portion of the modular pocket. Some parts of the shower blouse can include one or more visual guides and/or a thicker material so that the blouse can more easily and/or readily receive the adhesive of the modular pockets.

The shower blouse can be closable by a seam located at the front or back of the blouse when worn by the patient. The closable seam can use a zipper or a hook-and-loop material (e.g., VELCRO), for example, to permit the patient to repeatedly open or close the blouse as needed. The blouse can be reversible and can be worn in a forwards or backwards direction. In some embodiments, the shower blouse can be formed from one continuous material like a poncho that is pulled over the patient's head. The accordion collar may comfortably cinch around the patient's neck to prevent water from seeping in from the top of the blouse. The blouse can further be sized and shaped to fit a wide range of body types. The blouse can also come in several sizes/shapes that accommodate different body types, e.g., to account for substantial differences in body types such as differences arising from the sex and/or age of the patient (e.g., infant, child, adult).

The blouse can further be packaged as a home wellness kit that is given or sold to a patient before leaving a hospital. In some implementations, the patient can receive the home wellness kit from a different healthcare provider other than the hospital. This can be advantageous as a free or inexpensive solution for ensuring patients at home are comfortable and able to clean their body after a surgical or medical procedure.

In some embodiments, the disclosed features may realize one or more of the following advantages. First, the thin plastic material can provide for a lightweight and flexible shower blouse, thereby allowing the patient to freely move around when showering while also keeping the torso, chest, stitches, or other tender area(s) of the body reasonably dry. The thin plastic material can further be advantageous as it allows the patient's skin to breathe while wearing the blouse. Further, the thin plastic material can be less expensive for production, thereby making it feasible in some cases to provide the shower blouse (or a package of multiple shower blouses) to patients free of charge and/or at a low cost. As a result, the patient can also change out the shower blouses on a daily or near daily basis for so long as the patient is in recovery. This avoidance of substantial re-use of the blouse can mitigate the possibility of infection to sensitive areas of the patient's body. In some embodiments, instead of, or in combination with, a thin plastic material, a water-resistant material can be used.

Second, the accordion-style collar can be advantageous to permit compression/expansion as needed to fit comfortably around a range of neck sizes, while ensuring that water, soap, or other materials/elements do not seep to the area of the stitches or other tender area of the patient's body. The collar can also be advantageous because it ensures that the shower blouse can be one-size-fits-all, making it less expensive, easier to produce, and easier to distribute to all types of patients, including men and women. The accordion-style collar in combination with some type of fastener can also be advantageous to patients who are unable (e.g., as a result of the surgical or medical procedure) to raise their arms above their heads or get the collar over and around their heads.

Third, the modular pockets can be advantageous based on their ability to be placed/attached to various parts of the shower blouse, such as the exterior, interior, front, back, and/or sides, in order to hold any equipment that the patient may require while bathing (i.e. a drain, medication, tubes, etc.). As a result, the pockets can accommodate the particular needs of a range of patients while also allowing for the patient to customize the blouse to his/her needs.

Fourth, a blouse design that can be fitted to a wide range of patient sizes and body types can be beneficial to reduce production costs and allow hospitals or other medical providers to distribute a home wellness kit including the garment to patients for minimal cost. This model can benefit both men and women recovering from various types of medical procedures. Moreover, the home wellness kit can include at least one shower blouse, one or more modular pockets, and at least one accordion style collar. In some embodiments, the home wellness kit can further include a hood that can attach to the blouse such that the patient's head can be covered when showering. Lower production costs means that the home wellness kit can provide a patient with multiple blouses, pockets, collars, and/or hoods. As a result, for example, receiving multiple individual components in the kit can make it easier for the patient to reuse some components, build a custom blouse to fit the patient's needs, and, in some cases, avoid reusing the same blouse to minimize the possibility of infection and ensure cleanliness. The home wellness kit, therefore, can further improve cleanliness and comfort of the patient after a surgical procedure and while the patient is in recovery.

Fifth, the shower blouse described herein can be beneficial to a wide range of patients. Breast cancer patients can use the blouse to cover and protect the breast or chest area after a surgery. Burn patients as well as patients who underwent open-heart surgery can also benefit from the garment described herein. The blouse can be modified in other embodiments to cover and protect other parts of the body, including but not limited to leg and arm casts and any other wounds and/or burn areas that a patient wants to protect and keep clean while bathing.

Sixth, the shower blouse may be disposable due to its light weight and inexpensive cost. A patient may use the shower blouse once or for a limited amount of times (e.g., 2-3 times). By limiting the number of uses of the blouse, opportunities for infection that could occur from buildup of pathogens, dirt, and/or bacteria may be reduced. Infection can occur when multi-use garments are used multiple times. Therefore, a single/limited use shower blouse as disclosed herein can be beneficial because it is more hygienic than other garments. The single/limited use shower blouse is further beneficial for burn victims who must keep burned areas dry and clean for months at a time as the skin heals. Therefore, burn victims can purchase/receive, at a low cost, the shower blouses in bulk and change them on a daily basis to ensure optimal cleanliness.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an example front view of a shower blouse on a person.

FIG. 2 depicts an example back view of the shower blouse of FIG. 1 on a person.

FIG. 3 depicts an example view of a detachable accordion style collar.

FIG. 4 depicts an example view of an inside of the shower blouse of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts an explosive view of a removable modular pocket attached to a side of the shower blouse of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 depicts an example front view of a slip-on shower blouse.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This specification describes methods, devices, and other techniques for protecting a part of the body, such as a chest or torso region, while showering after a surgical procedure. Further, some implementations of the garment can be adapted to protect body areas such as the arms, leg, and/or head, in addition to, or in lieu of, the chest and torso regions.

FIG. 1 depicts an example front view of a shower blouse on a person (e.g., patient). Shower blouse 100 in this embodiment features an accordion style collar 102 around a neck opening of the blouse 100, an optional front zipper closure 104, elastic material/bands 106 around openings provided for the patient's arms, elastic material/band around a torso 108, and one or more visual guides 110A-N that indicate designated areas for placement one or more modular pockets (pockets not shown in FIG. 1). The shower blouse 100 can be sized and shaped to be worn by patients having a variety of sizes and body types. In some cases, the blouse 100 can come in several sizes to accommodate substantially different body types. For example, the blouse 100 can have a longer torso area for taller patients. As another example, the blouse 100 can be fitted for a child and/or infant. In some implementations, the blouse 100 can have short sleeves (e.g., sleeves that end before the elbows). In other implementations, the blouse 100 can have sleeves that extend to cover an entire arm to a wrist, and/or the blouse 100 can have sleeves that extend to an elbow. The shower blouse 100 described throughout this disclosure can also be made with different length sleeves so as to accommodate to the needs of any patient who undergoes a surgical procedure and therefore has different needs. Moreover, the blouse 100 can cover an entire torso of the patient and/or the blouse 100 can be any other length that is shorter or longer. For example, a breast cancer patient may receive a shower blouse with shorter torso coverage and/or shorter sleeves. In another example, a patient who received surgery on his/her abdomen may receive a shower blouse with longer torso coverage.

Still referring to the blouse 100 depicted in FIG. 1, the collar 102 can be removable, as described throughout this disclosure, or it can be integrated with the rest of the shower blouse 100. In some implementations, the collar 102 can be integrated with a body of the blouse 100. For example, a single plastic material can be cut to form the blouse 100. Then, around the neck opening, heat molding or other suitable techniques can be applied to create an accordion effect, thereby forming the collar 102. In another implementation, the collar 102 is not integrally formed with the body of the blouse; instead, the collar 102 can be attached to the blouse body, e.g., by stitching or other method for permanent attachment, or by temporary attachment to the blouse body including but not limited to a zipper (like the zipper closure 104) and/or hook-and-loop (e.g., VELCRO) tabs. Using one or more of these techniques, the collar 102 can be added to the body of the blouse 100. In some implementations, the collar 102 is removable and can be applied to different instances of a blouse body. For example, the patient may purchase or be given a home wellness kit containing one or more collars 102 and one or more blouse bodies that are physically separate from each other. The patient can then interchange the shower blouses by applying the separate collar 102 to each of the blouses.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the accordion style of the collar 102 is operable to seal the neck opening from water, soap, or other elements that may otherwise seep to the interior of the blouse body and bandaged or healing areas of the patient's body through the neck opening. In some implementations, the collar 102 can be made of a thinner plastic material than the body portion of the blouse 100 in order to facilitate compression and expansion of the collar 102 when the patient pushes his/her head through the neck opening. The thinner plastic material can be adjustable to comfortably squeeze around any patient's neck, no matter the size of the neck. In other implementations, the collar 102 is made of a thicker material (e.g., a thicker plastic material) than the body portion of the blouse 100 in order to provide additional support around the neck area. In some implementations, the collar 102 can have a first end and a second end, such that the collar 102 can be opened and closed around the patient's neck with a zipper closure, hook-and-loop closure (e.g., VELCRO), or other type of fastener that attaches the first end with the second end of the collar 102.

In some embodiments, the blouse 100 may be configured for use without a collar structure (e.g., collar 102). The collar 102 can be added by the patient as an optional supplemental component and/or the blouse 100 can function without any type of collar. To prevent water from seeping under the blouse 100 when a fitted collar 102 is not employed, the patient may place a towel, washcloth, or other type of material around the patient's neck, over and/or under the neck opening of the blouse 100, and thereby reduce or substantially prevent water or other materials from seeping under the blouse 100. While inclusion of the collar 102 may be functionally beneficial for added water protection and aesthetically pleasing, some providers or users may prefer to offer versions of the blouse 100 without the collar 102 for cost savings. Through these additional cost savings, hospitals and other healthcare facilities/providers may more easily distribute large quantities of these blouses to patients after surgical or medical procedures.

The blouse 100 in FIG. 1 includes a front zipper closure 104. As depicted in FIG. 1, the zipper closure 104 extends up the collar 102, allowing the patient to don and secure the blouse 100 as well as the collar 102 around the patient's neck through a single zipping action. In other implementations, as depicted in other figures, such as FIG. 5, the collar 102 may not have a zipper closure like the zipper 104, but rather may cinch around a patient's neck once the patient slides the patient's neck through the opening of the collar 102. In yet other implementations, the collar 102 can have its own connectors or fasteners (e.g., hook-and-loop material) near the ends of the collar 102 that allow the patient to wrap the collar around his/her neck and secure to the neck separately from the blouse body itself. The patient may also elect not to use collar 102, and may either forgo a seal around the neck area if warranted by the circumstances of the shower (e.g., if a low showerhead ensures water cannot seep around the neck), or may elect to place washcloths or other towels/rags around the neck area in lieu of collar 102.

As a result of the zipper 104 extending up the collar 102, as depicted in FIG. 1, the patient can easily put on and take off the blouse 100. This configuration can be beneficial for patients with stitches/sutures and/or other ailments that make movement and/or raising the patient's arms challenging and/or painful. The closures can alternatively be provided on a back side and/or front side of the blouse 100, and the blouse 100 can be reversible so that it can be worn forwards and/or backwards with the closure located either on the patient's front or back side. As mentioned, in yet other configurations, the zipper closure 104 can be on the back of the blouse 100, rather than the front.

In some implementations, the blouse 100 can include a zipper 104 (or hook-and-loop (e.g., VELCRO) closure) that extends the entire length of the blouse 100, from the neck opening to a bottom edge of the blouse 100. In yet other implementations, the zipper 104 can extend only a portion of the blouse 100—for example, from the neck opening to halfway down the front of the blouse 100.

In yet other implementations, the blouse 100 may not have any jacket-type closure, thus omitting the zipper 104 and/or VELCRO closure. Instead, the blouse 100 can be one seamless, unitary structure (refer to FIG. 6) and the patient can pull the blouse 100 over the head using the neck opening. Then, the patient can slip his/her arms through arm openings in the blouse 100. This implementation may be preferred where the patient does not have stitches and/or other ailments that make it challenging and/or painful for the patient to lift his/her arms. Further, implementations that omit a re-closeable opening (e.g., zipper 104 or VELCRO strips) may be advantageous in terms of production costs due to the requirement for fewer materials and reduction in complexity.

In some implementations, the blouse 100 is reversible. As a result, the blouse 100 can be worn forwards or backwards, depending on the patient's needs. An opening (e.g., zipper 104 or VELCRO strips) can be placed on either a front and/or back of the blouse 100. Moreover, adhesive pockets, visual guides, and/or structural guides for attaching pockets to the blouse 100 can be placed symmetrically on either the front and/or back of the blouse 100. Regardless of which way the patient wears the blouse 100 (forwards or backwards) the pockets function appropriately, thereby providing the same functionality to the patient.

The blouse 100 in FIG. 1 further includes elastic material 106 around the arm openings and the elastic material 108 around the torso opening. The elastic material 106-108 can be sewn into the fabric/material of the blouse 100 and/or the elastic material 106-108 can be integrated into a seam around each of the openings. The elastic material 106-108 can also be a rubber band. Under a one-size-fits-all model, the elastic material 106-108 can easily expand around arms and/or a torso of any size patient. Once the patient slides his/her arms through the arms openings, the elastic material 106-108 may comfortably squeeze around the arms so as to prevent water, soap, or other elements from seeping onto the area of the body that is covered by the blouse 100 without causing discomfort or cutting off circulation to the patient. Furthermore, if blouses are sized different depending on body types, each of the different sizes can include the elastic material 106-108 to accommodate for any other differences that may exist in terms of body type. For example, the blouse may be sized and shaped to accommodate different typical sizes among infants, children, and adults, men and women, and obese or thin patients.

In some implementations, it may be more cost effective to produce the blouse 100 with accordion style arm openings and/or an accordion style torso opening. In such implementations, the accordion style arm and/or torso openings can be formed/created as the previously described accordion style collar 102. In other implementations, it may be more cost effective and/or beneficial to incorporate drawstrings, clasps, or other similar type closures around the arm and/or torso openings.

In some implementations, the shower blouse 100 can include a hybrid and/or combination of any of the described closures. For example, the torso opening can comprise a drawstring and the arm openings can comprise the elastic material described above. In another example, the arm openings can be accordion style and the torso opening can comprise the elastic material described above.

It some cases, it can be advantageous to produce multiple different blouses, wherein each blouse has a different closure around the arm openings. That way, a patient can choose his/her preferred blouse type. In other embodiments, a doctor or other healthcare provider can choose a preferred blouse type based on a condition/procedure that the patient had undergone. It can also be advantageous to include the multiple different blouses in the home wellness kit so that the patient can try the blouses with different closures and see which is the most comfortable and preferred by the patient. In some cases, different blouses within the same kit may have different colors to aid the patient in differentiating blouses to wear on different days. In some cases, different kits may include blouses of different colors, which may or may not signify structural differences among the blouses between each kit.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the blouse 100 further includes the one or more visual guides 110A-N for adhesive pockets. The adhesive pockets can be applied and removed from any portion of the blouse 100. In some implementations, the patient may prefer to attach the pockets on the visual guides 110A-N. As depicted in FIG. 1, some visual guides, such as visual guides 110A, can be placed at higher positions on the blouse 100 that facilitates placement of medical equipment on the patient's body after a procedure. For example, after breast cancer surgery, the patient may have drainage tubes, surgical ports, or other equipment placed around the chest area of the patient. As a result, the higher positioned visual guides, 110A, provide for a more optimal pocket location for the patient's needs. However, the patient is not limited to placement of the pockets only in the areas designated by the visual guides 110A-N—the patient can place the pockets anywhere else on the blouse 100 as well. The pockets can hold drainage tubes or other equipment attached to the patient as a result of the surgery while the patient showers.

The visual guides 110A-N can be located anywhere on the blouse 100, but may be located in more common/traditional locations where pockets typically are placed on a jacket or other element of clothing. In some implementations, the visual guides 110A-N can be painted or printed onto the blouse 100 as rectangular strips, squares, or other shapes to demonstrate a location where the patient can attach a pocket. In other implementations, the visual guides 110A-N can be provided on portions of the blouse 100 thicker material that have a thicker material than surrounding areas, so as to provide additional structural support. Thus, in addition to providing visual guidance, the guides may additionally or alternatively include structural features (e.g., inclusion of different or thicker materials) in areas of the blouse body where the user is directed to apply a pocket. In some embodiments, the pocket can be used to carry/hold necessary medical equipment, including but not limited to drains, drainage tubes, and other tubular devices attached to the patient's body.

In some implementations, the blouse 100 can be produced with pockets already attached to the blouse 100. The pockets can be attached on existing visual/structural guides 110A-N on the blouse 100, or the pockets can be attached to other portions of the blouse 100. In such an implementation, the blouse can still have visual/structural guides 110A-N such that the patient can attach additional pockets to those particular locations on the blouse 100. In yet other implementations, the patient can receive the blouse 100 with pockets already attached as well as additional pockets that can be attached to the blouse 100 by the patient. Visual/structural guides 110A-N may be provided for pocket placements on the exterior of the blouse 100, the interior of the blouse 100, or both.

In some examples, the pockets may be permanently adhered to the blouse 100 once they are placed on the blouse 100, e.g., when a glue or other high-bonding adhesive is used to fix the pockets to the blouse. In some examples, the pockets can be removably adhered to the blouse 100 such that a patient could choose to easily remove the pockets and/or move the pockets to different locations. Removable adhesion may be achieved using hook-and-loop material (e.g., VELCRO) or other suitable techniques. For example, hook material may be provided along all or a portion of a periphery of the back-side of a pocket (e.g., the lateral and bottom sides), and corresponding loop material may be provided on areas of the blouse 100 where the pocket is capable of being adhered (e.g., areas designated by visual/structural guides 110A-N.)

In some embodiments (not depicted), the blouse 100 can include an integrally-formed and/or detachable/removable hood. The hood can function as a shower cap, and could benefit patients recovering from brain injuries, burns, or surgeries in the scalp area, for example. In some implementations of this embodiment, the hood can accompany the collar described throughout this disclosure. In other implementations, the hood can attach directly to the blouse 100 in lieu of the collar. Furthermore, the hood can include flaps that cover a patient's ears, to further minimize water or other materials (e.g., soap, dirt) from seeping through and coming into contact with the patient's skin. The hood can be made of a thin plastic material or a different type of water-resistant material that drapes over the ears and covers the patient's head. A loose configuration like that described herein can be beneficial for manufacturing and less expensive to produce than a hood with some sort of fastener/ties on the ends that would normally tie the ear flaps together, under the patient's chin. The hood can attach to the collar and/or the blouse 100 in a variety of ways (refer to the description of FIG. 3 concerning attachment of the collar 124 to the blouse 100). For example, VELCRO strips can be placed on an interior side of the hood (and/or VELCRO pieced provided to allow patient or medical staff to place the VELCRO as needed) such that it can be coupled with the collar and/or the blouse 100. As another example, a zipper can be placed along a perimeter of the bottom of the hood such that it can be zippered to a zipper on a perimeter of the collar and/or a zipper on a perimeter of the blouse 100. Alternatively, and as previously mentioned, the hood can also be integrally formed as part of the blouse 100 during production.

FIG. 2 depicts an example back view of the shower blouse 100 of FIG. 1 on a person. As previously mentioned, the blouse 100 is reversible, so the depiction in FIG. 2 can be of a front and/or back side of the blouse 100, depending on how the patient prefers or needs (e.g., at the doctor's instruction) to wear the blouse 100. In the FIG. 2 depiction of the blouse 100, one or more visual guides 112A-N for adhesive pockets are placed in different locations (e.g., positions) on a back side of the blouse 100. In some implementations, the visual/structural guides 112A-N can be placed in higher positions, such as at a shoulder blade area. In yet other implementations, the visual/structural guides 112A-N can be placed at locations that mirror positions of visual guides placed on the front of the blouse 100. In some examples, a postcard with visual instructions on where and how to use the adhesive pockets can be provided in lieu of having the blouses stamped with the same.

Regardless of location of the visual/structural guides 112A-N, the patient can attach one or more pockets to the blouse 100 at areas marked by the visual guides 112A-N and place one or more items in those pockets, such as drainage tubes. In other implementations, the visual/structural guides 112A-N can be placed at different locations (e.g., positions) on the back side of the blouse 100. In some implementations, the back side of the blouse 100 may not have any visual/structural guides 112A-N for adhesive pockets. In yet other implementations, the back side of the blouse 100 may have one or more visual/structural guides 112A-N on a back side of one or more sleeves of the blouse 100. In some implementations, and as previously discussed, the patient can receive the blouse 100 with one or more pockets already attached to the blouse 100. In such implementations, the blouse 100 can still have one or more visual/structural guides 112A-N in one or more locations on the back side of the blouse 100 or have printed instructions

As previously mentioned, (refer to FIG. 1), in some implementations, the back side of the blouse 100 can include a zipper and/or VELCRO closure. This can help the patient, doctor, or other healthcare provider to don and remove the blouse 100 on the patient as needed. This configuration can be beneficial in situations where the patient has stitches or another type of sensitivity on the front of his/her body which would become irritated by a zipper and/or VELCRO closure on the front side of the blouse 100. As a result, the zipper and/or VELCRO closure on the back side of the blouse 100 may be beneficial and most comfortable for patients. Alternatively, the zipper and/or VELCRO closure on the back side of the blouse 100 may beneficially make an area of the back more accessible. For example, if a patient has stitches on a lower side of the patient's back, it may be easier to access the stitches if the zipper and/or VELCRO closure is located on the back side of the blouse 100. Furthermore, since the blouse 100 is reversible, a zipper and/or VELCRO closure on the back side of the blouse 100 can still be used to close the blouse 100 in front of the patient's body if the blouse 100 is worn with the zipper and/or VELCRO closure at the front of the patient's body.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a detachable accordion style collar. The collar 124 depicted in FIG. 3 can in some implementations be used as the collar structure described elsewhere in this disclosure (e.g., collar 102). The collar 124 can include one or more adhesive attachments 114A-N on an interior side of the collar 124. The adhesive attachments 114A-N can be disposed at uniform positions and/or continuously around a perimeter of a neckline of the collar 124 as well as the blouse 100. In some implementations, the one or more adhesive attachments 114A-N can be located on an exterior side of the collar 124. The adhesive attachments 114A-N can then attach (e.g., append) to one or more adhesive receivers that are integrated into/on the neck opening of the blouse 100. In such implementations, the neck opening of the blouse 100 can have one or more adhesive receivers that receive the adhesive attachments 114A-N located on the interior and/or exterior of the collar 124. As a result, the collar 124 can attach securely to the blouse 100 and seepage of water and/or other elements (e.g., soap under the blouse 100 through the neck opening can be reduced or prevented. Alternatively, the adhesive attachments 114A-N can be placed on a bottom side of the collar 124 so that the collar 124 can attach to a top surface (e.g., neckline, opening) of the blouse 100.

In some implementations, the accordion style collar 124 can open from a front or a back of the collar 124 along a same axis as a zipper and/or VELCRO seam/closure/opening on the body of the blouse 100, as previously described (refer to FIG. 1). This design can apply to both integrally-formed collars and removable collars. The collar 124 can open such that if a patient is already wearing the blouse 100 and the collar 124 is already attached to the blouse 100, the patient can zipper up the blouse 100 and then zip up the collar 124 along the same axis. In some implementations, for example with integrally-formed collars, one zipper and/or VELCRO seam/closure can continue from the blouse 100 to the collar 124 (refer to FIG. 1). That way, the patient can zip up one zipper to close the blouse 100 and also the collar 124 around the patient's neck. Alternatively, for example with removable collars, a first zipper and/or VELCRO seam/closure can be attached to the blouse 100 and a second zipper and/or VELCRO seam/closure that aligns with the first zipper's axis can be attached to the collar 124. That way, the patient can zip up the blouse 100 with the first zipper and zip up the collar 124 with the second zipper. This implementation is beneficial so that patients do not need to first pull their heads through the collar 124 and then zipper/close the blouse 100 around their bodies. This implementation is beneficial for patients who cannot raise their arms above their heads or face some type of ailment that limits their mobility.

In some implementations, the collar 124 can have two ends, a first end and a second end. The two ends can fasten to each other with adhesive, VELCRO, zipper, or other type of fastener as previously described throughout this disclosure. For example, the first end of the collar 124 can have a fastener that hooks to a second fastener on the second end of the collar 124.

In some implementations, the patient can receive the blouse 100 separately from the collar 124. The patient can then attach the collar 124 to any blouse 100 of the patient's choice. In other implementations, the patient can receive, for example in a home wellness kit, the blouse 100 with the collar 124 already attached to the neck opening. The patient can then choose to leave the collar 124 on the blouse 100 or remove the collar 124 and attach it to any other blouse of the patient's choice. In other implementations, the patient can receive in the home wellness kit multiple collars, all of which can be attached to any blouse of the patient's choice. In yet other implementations, the patient does not have to use a collar and instead can place towel or other material around the neck opening of the blouse 100 so as to reduce or prevent water or other substances from seeping under the blouse 100.

FIG. 4 depicts an example view of an inside of the shower blouse of FIG. 1. In this example, the blouse 100 includes the front zipper closure 104 and one or more visual guides 116A-N for adhesive pockets on an interior side of the blouse 100. As a result, the patient can attach one or more adhesive pockets to the inside of the blouse 100 in addition to and/or instead of attaching one or more adhesive pockets to an exterior of the blouse 100. In addition, the blouse 100 includes a zipper closure 150 on the collar of the blouse 100. Therefore, the patient can easily put on the blouse 100 and zip closed the blouse 100 with the front zipper closure 104 and then zip closed the collar around the patient's neck with the zipper closure 150. In other implementations, the collar can include a VELCRO strip or other fastener/adhesive in order to open and close the collar around the patient's neck. In yet other examples, as depicted in FIG. 3, the collar can simply slide over a patient's head and cinch around the patient's neck without a need for fastening ends of the collar around the patient's neck.

As discussed previously, the visual/structural guides 116A-N, can be placed anywhere on the interior side of the blouse 100. In some implementations, it may be preferred to place the visual/structural guides 116A-N in traditional locations where pockets normally are located on jackets or other elements of clothing. In other implementations, it may be preferred to place the visual/structural guides 116A-N in higher positions, such as near the chest area. No matter the placement of the visual guides 116A-N, the patient can optionally attach one or more adhesive pockets to any location on the interior side of the blouse 100 that meets the patient's needs.

In some implementations, pockets can be placed at higher positions on the blouse 100, such as near the chest/breast area, because those are positions where patients typically may prefer to keep medical equipment (e.g., drainage tubes) after a surgery/procedure. For example, if a patient undergoes breast cancer surgery, storing necessary medical equipment in breast pockets on the blouse 100 may be easier and more beneficial to the patient. In other implementations, pockets can be proximally located where tubes and/or other medical equipment would be located on the patient's body after a surgery/procedure.

In some embodiments, the blouse 100 can include a number of pockets from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and/or 8 pockets. In some embodiments, there can be a range of pockets, from 1-6, 2-6, 3-6, and/or 4-6. Multiple advantages can be associated with use of a range of 4-6 pockets. For example, a blouse with four pockets can be advantageous because each pocket can be used to hold a different type of medical equipment. Individual tubes and/or other drainage equipment can be placed in independent pockets, such that weight is distributed and the patient will not have to struggle with detangling or separating apart the different medical equipment. Drainage tubes on either side of the body can also be accommodated. Four pockets can allow for ease of access to multiple sites of drainage tubes, medical ports, and/or other medical equipment inserted into the patient's body. The four pockets can also be beneficial because they provide for multiple access points to locations on the body where necessary medical equipment may be stored. The patient can further choose to apply as many or as few pockets as preferred to satisfy all of the patient's needs.

The example depicted in FIG. 4 is advantageous in situations where the patient has medical equipment that must remain on/attached to the patient's body. For example, if the patient has a pouch that administers doses of medicine to the patient through a needle inserted into a part of the patient's body, the pouch can be placed inside an adhesive pocket that is attached to the interior side of the shower blouse 100 at a location proximate to the needle. As a result, the patient can still receive the medicine from the pouch while showering without being burdened by tubes winding around the patient's body. In other examples, the patient may desire to keep necessary medical equipment dry while showering by placing the equipment in one or more adhesive pockets that are attached to the inside of the shower blouse 100. In some implementations, the blouse 100 may not have visual guides on the interior side of the blouse 100, but the interior side of the blouse 100 can still be configured to receive one or more adhesive pockets.

FIG. 5 depicts an explosive view of a removable modular pocket attached to a side of the shower blouse of FIG. 1. In this example, one or more adhesive attachments 122A-N can be located along an interior of the pocket 120A such that the pocket 120A can be attached to a fabric or other material of the blouse 100. The adhesive attachments 122A-N can be located along one, two, or three sides of the pocket 120A. In some implementations, the pocket 120A can be a square and/or rectangle on laminate material. The pocket 120A can then be peeled off of the laminate material and applied to any location/position on the blouse 100. The pocket 120A can be modular in shape and/or design. As discussed throughout this disclosure, the pocket 120A can be attachable to one or more visual and/or structural guides on the blouse 100 or any other location on the exterior and interior sides of the blouse 100, or a printed guide can be provided.

In some implementations, the patient can receive the blouse with one or more pockets already attached to the blouse 100, as previously described. The pockets can then be removed and/or reattached to desired locations of the patient and/or medical staff. In yet other implementations, the patient can receive the blouse with one or more pockets that are not yet attached to the blouse. The pockets can be attached to some laminate material and then the patient can apply the pockets to any areas/locations on the blouse as the patient desires or needs—the patient can apply the pockets to areas of the blouse that are specially made to receive the adhesive pockets (refer to FIGS. 1-2 and 4, e.g., areas of the blouse 100 comprising a thicker material intended to hold more weight from items that can be placed in a pocket) and/or anywhere else on the blouse, regardless of whether there are visual guides.

Where the patient receives pockets that are not yet attached to the blouse 100 (e.g., in the home wellness kit previously described throughout this disclosure), production costs can be lower. The patient can also have more ability/flexibility to fully customize the shower blouse 100 to meet his/her particular needs. Thus, the patient can apply one or more pockets to the exterior and/or interior of the blouse 100. As previously mentioned, attaching a pocket to the interior of the blouse 100 can be beneficial to store and keep dry a drainage tube, valve, or other medical equipment while showering. On the other hand, another patient may find more benefit from attaching a pocket to the exterior of the blouse 100.

The adhesive (e.g., modular) pockets can be made of the same material as the unitary structure of the blouse 100. In other implementations, the pockets can be made from a thicker plastic material. As a result, the pockets can carry more weight without ripping or breaking. The adhesive material on the inside of the pockets can be a type of material that does not detach the pockets from the blouse 100 under the weight of items placed in the pockets or from water or other materials (e.g., soap) that may come in contact with the blouse 100 while the patient is showering. In some implementations, the adhesive material can be VELCRO. In other implementations, the adhesive material can be a type of glue or tape that is water resistant.

In yet other implementations, the pockets can be made without adhesive attachments. The home wellness kit can include separate adhesive attachments which the patient then uses to stick onto a portion of the pocket and then to stick the pocket onto a portion of the blouse 100. In other implementations, the pockets can come in varying shapes and sizes, depending on the particular needs of the patient and/or types of patients (e.g., based on a type of surgery or other procedure or materials/equipment that can be carried by the patient).

In yet other implementations, the pockets can be made from different material depending on their intended purpose. For example, pockets that are intended to carry heavier objects/items can be made from a thicker and/or heavier material (e.g., plastic). General-use pockets and/or pockets intended to carry lighter objects/items can then be made from a more lightweight material (e.g., the same material as the unitary structure of the blouse 100 or an even lighter material). As a result, the pockets can be fully customizable to meet the varying needs of different patients.

FIG. 6 depicts an example front view of a slip-on shower blouse. As previously mentioned, a shower blouse can be configured in numerous ways. The embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1-2 and 4 include a zipper closure 104. Another example is a slip-on shower blouse 200, as depicted in FIG. 6. The blouse 200 can include an accordion style collar 202, as previously described throughout this disclosure. The blouse 200 can further include one or more visual and/or structural guides 208A-N for receiving one or more adhesive pockets, as previously described throughout this disclosure. The blouse 200 can include an elastic material and/or seam 204 around each of the arm openings and an elastic material and/or seam 206 around a torso opening. The elastic material 204-206 is beneficial to ensure that the blouse 200 is cinched around the arms and torso openings such that water or other materials (e.g., soap) are less likely to seep in and under the blouse 200.

In this example, the blouse 200 is configured to be slipped over the patient's head through a neck opening. The accordion style collar 202 then cinches comfortably around the patient's neck so that the possibility of water or other materials coming into contact with the protected areas of the patient's body is precluded or reduced, as previously described. The patient can then slide his/her arms through the arm openings to secure the blouse on the patient's body. The elastic seam 206 around the torso opening can then comfortably cinch/secure the blouse around the torso such that water or other materials are less likely to seep in through the torso opening. The blouse can be a one-size-fits-most, such that patients within a range of typical sizes can slip his/her head through the accordion style collar 202 and comfortably wear the blouse without getting the covered/protected parts of the patient's body wet. The one-size-fits-most blouse can be beneficial for hospitals and/or other healthcare providers such that the hospitals and/or other healthcare providers can distribute many blouses to many patients regardless of body type. In other words, one-size-fits-most blouses may reduce costs for the hospitals and/or other healthcare providers because they can give the one-size-fits-most blouses to most of their patients. Furthermore, patients can then purchase and/or receive additional blouses that are manufactured to different sizes/body types.

In other embodiments, the blouse described throughout this disclosure can be made in different sizes to accommodate for different body types. For example, a longer torso version of the blouse described throughout can be designed for patients with longer torsos. In other embodiments, a blouse can be adapted/designed to fit an infant and/or child. Still another embodiment can be a blouse that fits a person of larger than average size (e.g., obese patients).

In another embodiment, a disposable garment can be made that conforms to encompass an arm or leg individually with elastic closures to help prevent exposure to water and other elements and help keep the wound area or cast area dry and help prevent irritants and infection.

In yet another embodiment, the garment can be adapted to function as a disposable post-surgical garment. In addition (or alternatively) to be being configured for use in the shower, the garment can be donned by the patient following his/her surgical procedure in addition to/or in lieu of the plastic wrap currently used. The garment can thus serve as a barrier to prevent dirt or other pathogens from making contact with the surgical area, compression garments, and/or medical gauze wraps. (e.g., for breast cancer patients, burn patients, and other surgical patients.) The patient may replace the garment after showering, change the garment daily to help minimize infection, and/or after two or three consecutive days of use within their comfort zone. In some cases, it is recommended that the same garment not be worn for more than a single day if exposed to water or if an infection is present. The blouse can be slipped over the patient's head through a neck opening once the surgical procedure and compression garments or bondages are in place. The accordion-style collar can then cinch comfortably around the patient's neck to minimize and prevent dirt and/or other materials coming into contact with the protected areas of the patient's body. The medical staff can then slide the patient's arms through the arm openings to secure the garment on the patient's body. The elastic seam around the torso opening can then comfortably cinch/secure the blouse around the torso. The disposable post-surgical garment can allow the skin to breathe due to the elastic and accordion aspects of the design. In some examples, the garment includes accordion-style sleeves ending at a desired location of the patient's arm's (e.g., mid-bicep) to prevent circulation issues.

While particular embodiments have been described, one of ordinary skill will readily appreciate that the inventive aspects of the disclosure are not so limited to these examples. Additional features and advantages will be seen by those of skill in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment for mitigating intrusion of water or pathogens on a person's body, the garment comprising: a first opening sized and shaped to fit around the person's neck, wherein the first opening further comprises a collar with accordion style ridges; second and third openings sized and shaped to fit around a portion of the person's arms, wherein the second and third openings further comprise elastic material; and a fourth opening to be fitted around a portion of the person's torso, wherein the fourth opening further comprises elastic material.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is made of a thin plastic material that is less than 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 millimeters thick.
 3. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is water-resistant.
 4. The garment of claim 1, wherein the collar is configured to: expand when the person's head is pushed through the first opening; and contract around the person's neck to create a water-resistant seal.
 5. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a zipper closure on a front of the garment.
 6. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a zipper closure on a back of the garment.
 7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is configured to be adjusted around the person's head, arms, and torso.
 8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the elastic material comprising the second, third, and fourth openings is integrated into a seam of the garment surrounding the second, third, and fourth openings.
 9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the elastic material comprising the second, third, and fourth openings is a drawstring that is configured to be tightened by the person around the second, third, and fourth openings.
 10. The garment of claim 1, further comprising one or more modular pockets.
 11. The garment of claim 10, wherein the one or more modular pockets are detachable.
 12. The garment of claim 10, wherein the one or more modular pockets are configured to be attached to any portion of the garment.
 13. The garment of claim 10, further comprising one or more visual guides for receiving the one or more modular pockets on at least one of an exterior side and an interior side of the garment.
 14. The garment of claim 13, wherein the one or more modular pockets are configured to be attached to the one or more visual guides.
 15. The garment of claim 13, wherein the one or more visual guides comprise a thicker material configured to receive one or more modular pockets.
 16. The garment of claim 1, wherein the collar is detachable.
 17. The garment of claim 1, wherein the collar further comprises one or more adhesive attachments configured to couple the collar to the garment.
 18. The garment of claim 17, wherein the first opening of the garment further comprises one or more adhesive attachment receivers configured to receive the collar.
 19. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is further configured to encompass at least a portion of an arm or a leg of the person.
 20. A method for using a garment to be worn by a person after a surgical or medical procedure, the method comprising: adjusting the person's neck through a first opening to be fitted around the neck, wherein the first opening comprises a collar with accordion style ridges; adjusting the person's arms through second and third openings to be fitted around a portion of the arms, wherein the second and third openings comprise elastic material; adjusting a fourth opening around a portion of the person's torso, wherein the fourth opening comprises elastic material; and attaching one or more modular pockets to one or more portions of the garment, wherein the one or more portions of the garment comprise one or more visual guides for receiving the one or more modular pockets. 